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Ryan, Ackley fall short in Gold Glove balloting

Ryan, Ackley fall short in Gold Glove balloting

9/19/12: Brendan Ryan ranges deep beyond the second-base bag to corral the grounder, then fires across his body to nab Endy Chavez

By Greg Johns
/
MLB.com |

SEATTLE -- After a string of 24 straight seasons with a Rawlings Gold Glove winner, the Mariners came up empty for a second consecutive year when the 2012 winners were announced on Tuesday.

Though shortstop Brendan Ryan and second baseman Dustin Ackley were top-three finalists for American League awards at their positions, neither was chosen. J.J. Hardy of the Orioles was named the AL Gold Glove winner at shortstop, while the Yankees' Robinson Cano earned the second-base honor.

It was Cano's second Gold Glove, having received the award in 2010, while Hardy was a first-time winner.

Ryan, 30, won the 2012 Fielding Bible Award at shortstop last week, but he has still never won a Gold Glove. Ackley, 24, was also a finalist for the first time.

Gold Glove Awards are voted on by managers and coaches, with each manager and up to six coaches on each staff getting a vote.

Ryan and Ackley anchored a Mariners defense that tied for the AL lead with a .988 fielding percentage, the second best in club history. The duo combined for 38 defensive runs saved, the most by any middle-infield combination in the Majors.

Ryan led all Major League shortstops with 27 defensive runs saved and posted a .985 fielding percentage (nine errors in 601 chances) in 138 games at short.

Ackley tied for third among AL second basemen with 11 defensive runs saved. In 142 starts at second, he made only seven errors in 639 chances, for a .989 fielding percentage.

Franklin Gutierrez and Ichiro Suzuki are the Mariners' last Gold Glove winners, both taking home outfield awards in 2010, the last of 10 consecutive years for Ichiro. Ken Griffey Jr. also won 10 straight Gold Gloves from 1990-99.